The Research Process

Steps in the Research Process

When you get your first research assignment, it can be confusing to know where to begin. Here is an overview of the research process, which will be covered in depth in the following pages.

Reread assignment:
Select a topic:
Develop your topic:
Conduct background research:
Search:
Evaluate & Save:
Write & Cite:

Need To Update

Developing your Topic

Refining and focusing your research topic.

Background Research

Finding background information to help you focus your topic and plan your research.

Thesis Statements

Coming up with a focused thesis statement.

Counterarguments

Researching "the other side" of an argument.

How Librarians Can Help

Librarians are experts at finding and evaluating information and are professionally trained to help you develop those skills. They can help you navigate the information sources, broaden or narrow your topic, manage your citations, and much more. Never hesitate to ask questions! There are many ways for you to get in touch:

Contact Us
Call, text, chat, or email the libraries.
Contact your liaison
Find the Liaison Librarian who specializes in your area of study to contact them directly.
Make an appointment
Meet one-on-one with a librarian to get personalized help with your research. Appointments available in-person and over Zoom.

Tutorials

Video Tutorial: Research Process
This video will help students understand the cyclical nature of research and the importance of narrowing a topic to match the scope of an assignment..
Tutorial: Scholarship as Conversation
Use this tutorial to encourage students to develop a scholarly mindset. In this tutorial, students will learn how their projects help build the body of work in a given field. Additionally, students will become familiar with the process of attribution and critical evaluation.

How To Do Research (New Version for IL Restructuring)